Detroit Metro Flyers or any one with holiday experience!

[soccer mom]

We will be flying out of Detroit Metro at 5:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. I can't find anyone willing to give up turkey dinner to take us to the airport. (boy are they selfish! lol). We have never traveled at Thanksgiving and have never done long term parking at airport. Questions: Will we get a spot in the Mcnamera Terminal lot? Will the airport be a madhouse on Thanksgiving Day? Should we consider off sight parking? Should we pay the price and hire transportation? Thanks for any help!

 

[Tess]

Whether or not you use a car service is up to you. I've never priced the car services in the metro area since we're too far away for that to be an option. Given you aren't leaving until late in the day on Thanksgiving AND that this holiday is heavily traveled, it might be well worth it to hire a car to drive you to the airport. I'm sure the longterm parking (especially economy lots) will be crammed.

In the event you decide to drive yourselves and are able to get a spot (listen to WJR--they give those lot reports all the time OR call the airport to check parking availability prior to leaving), the cost of parking is higher at the airport than say Park & Fly or Park & Jet or any of the other parking services just across 94. I think in the past we've paid between $60 and $90 depending on the length of our trips (the Davey parking structure is higher than the economy lots and I've not flown since McNamara has opened). The private lots are a bit less expensive and equally secure. We've never had a vehicle tampered with at either the airport or the private lots. We've also had great luck catching the transportation vehicles to/from the lots when we arrive and return.

As to your question about whether or not metro will be "a madhouse"--you know it will! I would say that you're probably better off with a late day flight than the early a.m. BUT you might encounter flight delays due to increased traffic.

Good luck!

 

[candaceg]

Despite the fact that they don't know how to spell they have great service and reasonable rates. With a AAA card you pay $6 a day. Their busses run constantly - it's not uncommon to have two of them at the curb when you get out to the pickup area. They pick you up and drop you off right at your car. The only drag is when you're on a full bus and you're the last to be dropped off.

To get there, turn right when you get off of 94 (assuming that you'll be on 94 west coming from Shelby Twp). It's about 3/4 of a mile up on the left, with a Red Roof Inn attached.

I used the new garage once when the terminal first opened, and then went back to Qwik Park. The garage is really unpredictable, and if it's full once you get down there, it's a long haul to get back to the off-site lots.

Good luck!